De Kleine Werf
The old shipyard on Prinseneiland
De Kleine Werf was formally a warehouse for anchovies and herring, nestled amongst many other warehouses, shipyards, salt shacks, buck smokehouses and tar & tan boilers. At the end of the 18th century, De Kleine Werf went from being a warehouse to becoming a shipyard.
Despite most of the neighborhood falling into ruin at the beginning of the 20th century, De Kleine Werf managed to retain its function until 2000. The last ship carpenter to operate from De Kleine Werf was Hoyte van Hoytema, whose specialty was repairing wooden classic ships.
In 2004 Leonarda Kemink, Hoyte’s sweetheart, transformed De Kleine Werf into the unique meeting venue it is today.
De Kleine Werf: Meeting Venue ánd Art Gallery
Incorporating their own creativity, photographer Jaap Vliegenthart and artist/designer Esther van de Steene will build on the current concept. From September 2022 De Kleine Werf will not only be a unique meeting location, but also an Art Gallery! To enhance this beautiful space, De Kleine Werf has been sensitively modernized, preserving the historical features.
And Leonarda still lives above the shipyard.
1953, J.M. Arsath Ro'is
The Prinseneiland
Together with Bickerseiland and Realeneiland, Prinseneiland forms the ‘Western Islands’. These islands were artificially constructed in the early 17th century. The activity that took place on these islands, demonstrated how Amsterdam became a world trade center in the Golden Age.
The islands not only attracted merchants and carpenters, artists were also inspired by this area, dating back as early as the 19th century. Painters such as Breitner and Maks had their studios here and Jacob Olie was the first to photograph the beauty of the Islands.
Most warehouses have now been converted into apartments, but
the atmosphere of a village within the city remains. No wonder lifestyle magazines refer to the island as the ‘Montmartre on the IJ’. Prinseneiland has been inspiring and stimulating people with a broad view of the world for more than 400 years. It is a breeding ground for traders, artists and craftsmen. Creativity and ideas come to life between old slipways, swans and flocks of geese on Prinseneiland!